in which matthew and the atlas make good use of a banjo

so, here's what you need to know about matthew and the atlas: they're pretty awesome. and here's why - i know i'm constantly harping here on my blog about how underrated the piano is in music nowadays, but matthew and the atlas utilizes the other grossly underused yet great instrument: the banjo.

yes, i said banjo.

and man, do they do it soooo well. a banjo can make or break a song - sometimes it's so cheesy you can't help but cringe and wonder if a piece of hay is sticking out of its player's mouth. but a banjo done right? brilliant. like, chills running up and down your spine, goosebumps on your arms, and a feeling like you're listening to music magic brilliant.

and that's what matthew and the atlas does with the banjo.




the first time i heard i will remain, i instantly thought: hand claps! stomps! yes! yes! because i am, if anything, a sucker for stomp/clap songs. but then i noticed the sweet twangs of a banjo, and i never looked back. alluring in that it's raw and earthy, i will remain picks up its listener and shoves them, headfirst, into the story matthew hegarty and his bandmates craft. the line and i burrowed straight back to you? gah. loooove the imagery.

further from my widowed home
take the road that sets it to the sun
waiting for my skin and bone to return and see what i've become
summer has not yet been here though my days are long
take me back to when the night was young
and another song was sung

and what of all those pretty tales
the ones that took me to this door
is it comfort in the salvers way,
the comfort upon this wooden floor
tell you, is it a failure to forget the ones who once held it
and i tried to remember but my mind is no longer clear

oh, you recognize me
oh,i follow from, far from the trees
oh, the woods came out, upon my knees
oh, i twisted round
i made no sound
no sound

i'll wonder 'til my brittle bones
have succumbed and pulled me to the stone
further from the towns you've known
i'll remain from where i have begun
summer before i start i was kicking home stones as a child
in the meadow when the storm came through
and i burrowed straight back to you

oh, you recognize me
oh, i follow from, far from the trees
oh, the wood came out, upon my knees
oh, i twisted round
i made no sound
no sound

and would you ever doubt my love when my day is done
i'll lay down my body within this earth i've won
would you try to follow the roads i had to walk
there's a whisper in the willow
from they, all hear me talk

here's a live video of i will remain:



check out the beautiful and simple within the rose:


Matthew & The Atlas - Within The Rose by Stayloose

and you must have a listen to the sublimely gorgeous deadwood. talk about a banjo creating magic. swoon! so fabulous words fail me. download it and listen to it over and over again:


Matthew & The Atlas - Deadwood by Stayloose

buy to the north, the EP i will follow and within the rose is off of, HERE.

wordless music post #20

find/buy this print at etsy HERE.

RAINBOW ARABIA -WITHOUT YOU by Kompakt

video for a saturday - two hours time

Cinnamon Chasers - Two hours time (Official Music Video) from Jovan Todorovic on Vimeo.

learn more about cinnamon chasers HERE.

album review: searchlight by only son

so, i've finally got a chance to listen to only son's newest album searchlight. i really dig how, when listened to, it doesn't feel like the same song over and over again, just with new lyrics. each song has a very distinctive feel to it, like they're separate people whispering their stories to you.

jack dishel, the man behind only son, has a way with lyrics - he doesn't treat his listeners like they're idiots and spell everything out for them. you have listen and think about what he means, and i like that.

some highlights:

* searchlight - has a totally psychedelic feel to it. a quirky guitar line plus a relentless tambourine makes a very groovy song: something here don't seem right/trouble around me/trouble around me/sun feels like a searchlight/trouble around me/trouble around me

* the same two places - seriously makes me think of venice beach, although i can't give you an exact reason why. it just has that sort of feel to it, you know? sunniness hiding disillusionment: you were falling out of love with the world/going back and forth/between the same two places/and is it all a waste of time?/you can't decide/and is it only in your mind?/you can't decide

* call them brothers (featuring regina spektor) - a look at growing up and moving on without taking the time to look back. spektor's backing vocals lend a sweet edge, like sugar hiding the bitterness of medicine. over and over they call us their friends/can't we find something else to pretend/like nobody won/that we're safe at the end

* you stayed at home - more subdued and folky than the rest of the album, this one's introspection makes its listener take pause. drowning in your history/scared of what you want to be/the future is a mystery/the punchline is infinity/forever out in front of me

* falling behind in the game - probably my favorite off the album. rising and falling and pushing forward with hints of an anthemic past (yes, i made that word up, and i'm sticking by it), this song studies what it feels like when things spin out of control. mostly i'm fighting/invisible things/the enemy general/pulling the enemy strings/i'm just a house/i'm just a cow/swirling around/in this tornado. and, at the very end: my late great youth/wash over me/the late great truth/wash over me

here's the lead song off of searchlight:

(mp3) magic by only son

read my interview with only son's jack dishel HERE. watch the video for it's a boy HERE. buy searchlight at only son's bandcamp site, and get a bonus song - go HERE to do so.

in which laura jansen + piano + a sad song = beauty

so, when i first played this song for the husband, he was like, "what a shocker, you're listening to mopey chick rock." he unfairly claims that 70% of my ipod is filled with this sort of music (it's not, i swear, but even if it was, SO WHAT?), so i sort of feel the need to clarify that i don't find this kind of sweet singer-songwriter music mopey nor chick rock, but i can definitely see why it attracts women as listeners. so here are several excellent reasons why you ought to listen to dutch singer-songwriter laura jansen's heartwrenching single girls:


* it's gorgeous
* it's got PIANO. woot!
* laura's voice is sublime, delicate, and sweet all at once
* it's totally sad (and thereby alluring to me)
* pretty much anyone who has ever gone through a breakup can relate.

girls, you know what i mean - the whole bit about cutting/changing hair? this is sadly a very true stereotype about women. i think i've altered my hair after every single significant break-up in my life. but seriously - how awesome is the lyric: pieces of us everywhere were falling down? laura jansen really cuts straight to the bone with raw, true-to-life feelings.

i think you'd like my new hair
i cut it when you weren't there
that pieces of us everywhere
were falling down

my bed is now a girl's bed
pink flowers under my head
and pillows on your side instead
of you

'cause that's what single girls do
don't think about you

i'm reading books on meditation
praying for my heart's salvation
i've got the motivation
to be a free girl now

i've gone drinking with the guy down the hall
put up a new color on my bare walls
i'm so damn busy
after all

'cause that's what single girls do
don't think about you

i keep trying
i keep trying
to make my way back to the light where I belong
but god keeps lying
god keeps lying
saying this is for the best and nothing here is wrong

but i'm still thinking about you

i think you'd like my new hair
i cut it like I didn't care
that pieces of me everywhere
were falling down

one more glass of wine
before i turn off the lights
this time i'll be fine
i'll be fine
i'll be fine

stream the song here: single girls

and now watch the beautiful video:



like laura? check her out on the following tour dates - she's performing alongside joshua radin and cary brothers (oh, cary brothers - his song honestly just slays me). can i just ask WHY IS THERE NO LA DATE HERE?! because, HELLO. those three would make a very excellent evening of music.


Feb. 21 – Cleveland, Ohio @ House of Blues
Feb. 22 – Indianapolis, IN @ The Vogue
Feb. 24 – Milwaukee, WI @ The Pabst Theater
Feb. 25 – Columbia, MO @ The Blue Note
Feb. 26 – Lawrence, KS @ Liberty Hall
Feb. 28 – Boulder, CO @ Boulder Theater
March 2 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Club Sound
March 3 – Boise, ID @ Knitting Factory
March 5 – Edmonton, AB @ The Starlite Room
March 6 – Calgary, AB @ Century Casino
March 8 – Vancouver, BC @ The Vogue Theater
March 9 – Seattle, WA @ Showbox at the Market
March 10 – Portland, OR @ Crystal Ballroom
March 11 – San Francisco, CA @ Great American Music Hall
March 18 – Fontana Showcase, SXSW @ The Speakeasy
March 19 – UMD Showcase, SXSW @ The Speakeasy

in which ari hest releases two new singles

so, ari hest has a new album coming out, his first in four years. ari is an interesting artist who, rather than conforming to what a label wanted him to be, opted out of his contract so he could write and perform music the way he wanted.

the lead single off of his new album, how will i know, is like having a cup of tea next to an open window on the perfect seventy-two degrees day. smooth and relaxing, it's such a sweet love song:

sat down at home, began to write
and like a habit
i never was able to kick
you put me in a trance
everything suddenly clicked
i'm with you for better or for worse
don't know if you're a gift or a curse
after all
how would i know if this was it?
how would i know for sure?

How Would I Know by user7910988

the b-side of how will i know is until next time - i love the slight middle eastern flavor to this one:

so many stories waiting to be played out
so many words talking at the back of my tongue
until next time, should there be one

Until Next Time by user7910988

want to see ari live? here are his tour dates:

March 2, 2011 - Club Café - Pittsburgh, PA
March 4, 2011 - The Ark - Ann Arbor, MI
March 6, 2011 - Garfield House - Northville, MI
March 8, 2011 - Radio Radio - Indianapolis, IN
March 9, 2011 - Intersection, The Lounge - Grand Rapids, MI
March 11, 2011 - Schubas - Chicago, IL (Two shows)
March 12, 2011 - Ginos Place - Danville, IL
March 15, 2011 - The Mill - Iowa City, IA
March 19, 2011 - The Walnut Room - Denver, CO
March 23, 2011 - Railway Club - Vancouver, BC/Canada
March 25, 2011 - Tractor Tavern - Seattle, WA
March 26, 2011 - The Alberta Rose Theatre - Portland, OR
March 27, 2011 - Tsunami Books - Eugene, OR
March 30, 2011 - Café DuNord - San Francisco, CA
March 31, 2011 - Hotel Café - Los Angeles, CA
April 1, 2011 - Lestat’s - San Diego, CA
April 2, 2011 - Rancho Manana Golf Course - Cave Creek, AZ
April 10, 2011 - WorkPlay Theatre - Birmingham, AL
April 13, 2011 - Eddie’s Attic - Decatur, GA
April 16, 2011 - Evening Muse - Charlotte, NC
April 20, 2011 - Jammin’ Java - Vienna, VA
April 21, 2011 - Ashland Coffee and Tea - Ashland, VA
April 22, 2011 - Kennett Flash - Kennett Square, PA
April 23, 2011 - World Café Live – Upstairs - Philadelphia, PA
May 1, 2011 - The Carleton - Halifax, Nova Scotia/Canada
May 5, 2011 - Highline Ballroom - New York, NY
May 6, 2011 - Club Passim - Cambridge, MA (Two shows)

the single for how will i know, along with until next time, will be available for sale on itunes on february 15th. sunset over hope street, the album how will i know is off of, will be released on march 1st.

in which a walk through walls takes you back to the 80's

so, as i've said before, i'm a gen-xer. i have no shame admitting i adore music from the 80's and still listen to it often. and songs that have 80's bits and pieces to them? love 'em, because it's like they have the best parts of both worlds.

case in point, kyla la grange's new single walk through walls. while it's no erasure or depeche mode or cyndi lauper song (and thank goodness for that!), it's got just enough of a hint of 80's beats to make the song a nostalgic treat, like thrifty's strawberry ice cream on a really warm day (seriously - thrifty's ice cream was way, way better than any other kind).

la grange, the daughter of a zimbabwean father and a south african mother, has been singing since she was five. she's got a great voice, strong and clear, that matches the strong guitars and beats found in walk through walls. she and this song remind me of missing persons and berlin, in a very modern way (meaning, no cheesy synths). don't mistake me - this is no slice o' 80's, but it's going to definitely make gen-xers very happy.

check it out:

Kyla La Grange - Walk Through Walls by Stayloose

kyla will be performing at austin's SXSW show this year in march. a two song single, including walk through walls, will also be released in march. pre-order it HERE.

in which a weighty ghost wants to be set free

so, in full disclosure, i discovered today's song in a pretty cheesy new syfy show called being human. what the show is about is irrelevant, because i'm not even sure i can handle watching much more of it, but weighty ghost by canadian indie rockers wintersleep, is totally worth a listen.




it's all about dissatisfaction and feeling uncomfortable in one's skin, something i think pretty much every person can identify with at some point in their life. i love the imagery in this one, especially the opening line: i got out of bed today, swear to go i couldn't see my face. what a way to show, rather than tell how a person is breaking down.

i got out of bed today, swear to god i couldn't see my face
i got out of bed today staring at a ghost
who forgot to float away, didn't have all that much to say
wouldn't even tell me his own name
where'd my body go

where oh where'd my body go?
africa or mexico?
where or where'd my body go?
where'd my body go?

have you seen my ghost?
staring at the ground?
have you seen my ghost?
sick of those goddamn clouds

are you some kind of medicine man?
cut the demons out of my head
you can't kill something that's already dead
just leave my soul alone
i don't need no surgery
take those knives away from me
just wanna die in my own body
a ghost just needs a home

(mp3) weighty ghost by wintersleep

here's a live version of the song:



go HERE to buy music by wintersleep, including welcome to the night sky, the album weighty ghost is off of. go HERE to download their single, new inheritors, for free.

wordless music post #19

find/buy this print at etsy HERE.

(mp3) flow by laurie anderson

learn more about laurie anderson, and her grammy nomimated song flow, HERE.

video for a saturday - have you seen this day

so this video is more like a mini-movie, which is a nice change of pace from so many short-term attention videos out there nowadays:

Have You Seen This Day? from VTVrider on Vimeo.

in which a tudor song is turned in a rocking, groovy tune

so, back when i was idealistic and thought, oh hey, i can really be anything i want to be (as opposed to my much more sensible goal now of becoming a published author), i planned on being an archaeologist who specialized in roman and medieval britain.

no, i'm not joking.

alas, the job field for that particular speciality is minute at best, so my fancy-schmancy undergrad degree languishes in bits of useless trivia in my head, but i still have an affinity for medieval things (and, by extension, tudor). this is what drew me initially to charlene kaye and the brilliant eyes' cover of mad tom of bedlam.

here's what charlene has to say about mad tom of bedlam:[it's a] "Traditional folk song written circa 1600 and also interpreted by Jolie Holland on her 2008 album "Escondida." I loved the song so much I wanted to make my own version of it - so it's a cover of a cover, essentially."

okay, seriously. how can anyone resist that? THEY CAN'T, THAT'S WHAT. kaye seriously brings the groove with her version, making the phrase bonney boys seem way, way sultrier than it ought to. plus! handclaps! that's like an instant 10 point bonus in my book.

get ready to want to dance, peeps:

to see mad tom of bedlam,
ten thousand miles i've traveled
mad maudlin goes on dirty toes
to save her shoes from gravel

it's well that we sing bonney boys
bonney mad boys
bedlam boys are bonney
for they all go bare, and they live in the air
and they want no drink nor money

i went down to satan's kitchen
for to break my fast one morning
and there i got souls piping hot
all on the spits a-turning

it's well that we sing bonney boys
bonney mad boys
bedlam boys are bonney
for they all go bare, and they live in the air
and they want no drink nor money

these spirits white as lightning
did on that journey guide me
the sun did shake and the pale moon quake
whenever they did spy me

it's well that we sing bonney boys
bonney mad boys
bedlam boys are bonney
for they all go bare, and they live in the air
and they want no drink nor money

tonight i'll go a-murdering
the man in the moon to a powder
his staff i'll break and his dog i'll shake
and i'll howl a wee bit louder

it's well that we sing bonney boys
bonney mad boys
bedlam boys are bonney
for they all go bare, and they live in the air
and they want no!

to see mad tom of bedlam,
ten thousand miles i've traveled
mad maudlin goes on dirty toes
to save her shoes from gravel

it's well that we sing bonney boys
bonney mad boys
bedlam boys are bonney
for they all go bare, and they live in the air
and they want no drink nor money

(mp3) mad tom of bedlam by charlene kaye and the brilliant eyes

check out the awesome video:

head over to charlene's bandcamp site to buy the EP mad tom of bedlam is off of.

in which a cover of a U2 song just might be better than the original

so, many years ago (or so it seems), the best friend introduced me to a really awesome australian movie called looking for alibrandi, which is based on the best-selling book of the same name. sometimes i almost wish she hadn't shown it to me, because it's rarely on television and only available on dvd coded for some other country (and no, i don't have a universal dvd), but i still search for it on a monthly basis, hoping to watch it once more.


don't even get me started on just how hard it is to track down the soundtrack for the movie. yeesh.

brilliant story aside, looking for alibrandi is memorable to me because it had this amazing cover of U2's with or without you by hamish cowan (lead singer of cordrazine). HOLY COW, PEEPS, IS THIS SONG FABULOUS. i mean, U2's version, is of course, flawless, but this one?



shhh...

i think i like it better.

i'm not sure if it's because the scene it's in (shown below) slays me every time i watch it (weepers, be warned - it's a funeral scene) - GAH. cowan's plaintive vocals are so, so powerful and haunting, especially in context to what's happening. but it also could be that cowan simply brings it with his version. it's a bit more techno sounding than U2's, but in my opinion, fifty times sadder.

and how i love me the sad songs.

see the stone set in your eyes
see the thorn twist in your sides
i'll wait for you.

sleight of hand and twist of fate
on a bed of nails she makes me wait
and i'm waiting for you.

through the storm we reach the shore
you give it all but i want more
and i'm waiting for you.

with or without you
with or without you
I can't live
with or without you.

and you give yourself away
and you give yourself away
and you give
and you give
and you give yourself away.

my hands are tied
my body bruised, she's got me with
nothing to win
and nothing left to lose.

and you give yourself away
and you give yourself away
and you give
and you give
and you give yourself away.

with or without you
with or without you
i can't live
with or without you.

(mp3) with or without you by hamish cowan

here's the sob-worthy scene from looking for alibrandi:

buy the book the movie is based off of HERE.

in which the head and the heart sings a perfect slice of americana

so, the seattle based the head and the heart has a really great sound that combines a number of themes: folk, rock, americana and alt-country. mellow at times and driven at others, the quintet sweeps their listeners away with gorgeous mixes of guitars, piano, drums and violins (piano! you know how i love me the piano!).

case in point: down in the valley. there's a lot about this song that gives me major goosebumps - the beginning guitar pluckings, the piano, of course, and charity thielen's sweet backing vocals, but also how it progressively swells and then bursts into the sort of song that sounds so bloody brilliant turned up while you've got a pair of excellent headphones on (none of those earbuds, peeps. get yourself the good kind that cover the whole ear).

i wish i was a slave to an age-old trade
like ridin' around on railcars and workin' long days

lord have mercy on my rough and rowdy ways
lord have mercy on my rough and rowdy ways

call it one drink too many
call it pride of a man
but it don't make no difference if you sit or you stand

'cause they both end in trouble and start with a grin
yeah they both end in trouble and start with a grin

we do it over and over and over again
we do it over and over and over again

oh-oh

i know there's california, oklahoma
and all of the places i ain't ever been to but
down in the valley with
whiskey rivers
these are the places you will find me hidin'

these are the places i will always go

i am on my way
i am on my way
i am on my way back to where i started

oh-oh


one more for the stars and the eyes of the walls
i hear your name...

i saw your face in the crowd and you came out
you saw me walkin'...

you got a sign on the door and it reads to me
just like the grass and the sun and the...

oh-oh


i am on my way
I am on my way
i am on my way back to where i started



go HERE to download down in the valley plus no one to let you down by the head and the heart for free.

in which a song transports its listener to the catalinas

so, today i wanted to share another song by the amazing amy seeley, who loyal readers will remember from two posts in late 2010 which discussed her album plum coulee.




catalinas, a single released before plum coulee, is an interesting mix of folk and techno. it's got a hypnotic piano beat i really dig, giving the song a unique sound in a field that can often sound too cloyingly similar (techno fans, no hating for that last comment!). and as always, amy's lyrics are vivid and poetic, bringing you, as a listener, to the very place she's describing. how fabulous is the line i am prone to dreaming in colors like the shades...of the catalinas?

thunder rolled in this evening
over the desert shore
when lightning struck i saw the color of your eyes
they were lit on fire
tell ya, darlin' i want more
i am prone to dream in colors like the shades
like the shades of the catalinas

my arms reach to the horizon
under stated sage and sand
what i had hoped to find was buried deep
it was there along
at the base of the catalinas

as of right now, catalinas is being offered for free on amy's bandcamp site. while you're there, check out suprisingly so, a very sweet love song that definitely enchants.




interested in more songs by amy seeley? head over to her itunes page HERE.

in which jesse harris offers a free live EP

so, jesse harris has just released an EP of live songs from through the night (read my review of that album HERE). you can stream the EP below, or if you want the free mp3s, simply head over to jesse's facebook page and leave a comment with #livemusicisbettermusic - you'll be sent a download link.

wordless music post #18

find/buy this print at etsy HERE.

(mp3) girlfriend in a coma (the smiths cover) by noah and the whale

video for a saturday - lost things

so, i've got to admit, i lovelovelove this song and video. it's got a very alice in wonderland feel to it, and i am such a sucker for all things alice. this is probably my big song crush of the moment... too bad it's unreleased as of yet!



find out more about a fine frenzy HERE.

in which the cowboy junkies cover vic chesnutt

so, back when i was an undergraduate in college, i worked for awhile at a movie theatre. there were these cds that we had to play over and over again, soundtracks for people to sit in theatres and wait for their movie to start to. it's safe to say in one eight hour shift, i'd hear a song maybe...fifteen? twenty times? and while that pretty much killed a number of songs for me forever, one song did escape my hell-no-i'll-never-listen-to-that-again cut: a cover of the velvet underground's sweet jane by cowboy junkies.

remember that one? it was mellow and smooth and so, so easy on the ears. but that's how the cowboy junkies were - and still are.

the canadian band has just recently recorded an album of vic chesnutt covers entitled demons. according to michael timmins, the junkies' guitarist:

"We tried to approach Demons with the same sense of adventure that Vic undertook in all of his projects (or at least that is the way his recordings sound). We let happy accidents happen; we tried to invest his songs with the same spirit and the adventure with which they were written, at the same time investing them with our own Northern spin. Exploring his songs and delving deeper and deeper into them has been an intense, moving and joyous experience. I don’t think Vic would have wanted it any other way."

have a listen to the very laid back and enjoyable wrong piano:

oberheim, yamaha
steinway and the lot
i must've played the wrong piano
cause it left me with
i don't know what
so don't talk to me about mistakes
yes we all simply have got to take precautions
i must of played the wrong piano
cause now i just feel nauseous

some sexual
turned into some biblical
and then became a game
of just trivial pursuit
i used to gnaw on every word
but now i don't what's the use
rupert murdock and larry flint
bob guccione and the u.s. mint
i took out the wrong subscription
and i don't know what i'm gonna
end up spending

(mp3) wrong piano by the cowboy junkies

and here's a video of them performing supernatural, another of chesnutt's songs:



demons volume 2, the album wrong piano is off of, will be available for sale on january 18th. pre-order the album HERE.

in which it's wondered if all guys really do love AC/DC

so, my twins are five today. FIVE. and this just freaks me out in a way, because time really moves way too fast when you have kids, or, according to LA times reporter sandy banks in a really insightful article, in general when you get older.

(i will say it's nice to know it's not just me who feels this way)

anyways! i thought for today i'd share some music love from my boys' collection. but first, a story:

early on in our relationship, the husband informed me that there are "guy" bands and "girl" bands. "for instance," he told me, "AC/DC is the epitome of a guy band. i don't think there's a guy out there who doesn't like them. if they say they don't, it's only because they secretly do."


i found this really interesting, especially since, other than joni mitchell (and maybe, maybe the go-gos), i couldn't really peg any band or singer solely "girl." and also, because i was one of those (albeit female) people who secretly dug AC/DC. but he was pretty much right - i've yet to meet a guy who, when questioned, tells me he doesn't like AC/DC. (if you're one of those mythical creatures, tell me why!)

my boys are no different. the first time they heard an AC/DC song, their eyes went wide. "who is this?" they demanded. "what's this song called? PLAY IT AGAIN, MOMMY."

um, this was when they'd just turned 4. and the song was hell's bells, which i conveniently told them was simply called "bells." someday they'll figure out the truth and it'll be pretty funny.

so, to celebrate their turning five, i'm offering up a couple of videos of the two songs they request the most from AC/DC.

first up is thunderstruck, which, according to the husband, is one of the best songs ever recorded. and seriously? how awesome is the intro?:





and here's back in black:

in which daughter shows she's an old soul

so, daughter, aka elena tonra, is a nineteen year singer-songwriter from london whose voice reminds me of snowfall: delicate, enthralling, and yet stinging at times. and whereas many nineteen year olds are fretting about hot boys, trendy clothes, or what club to go to, tonra shows her old-soul depth through thought provoking songs.



she recently released a demos ep which consists of four tracks. some highlights:

* in the shallows - the perfect sort of song to drink chocolat chaud to on a cold, quiet night. gentle guitar lines alongside tonra's dulcet tones, this is a bittersweet song of longing. if you leave/when i go/find me/in the shallows.

* tomorrow - a song about not wanting to let go, even though the writing is on the wall. the heavy drums in the background add just the right edge to tonra's sugar-coated panic. when the sun comes up/we'll be nothing but dust/just the outlines of our hands/by tomorrow we'll be lost amongst the leaves/in a wind that chills the skeleton of trees.

* your kisses - it's the fear so many people have in relationships: does one person love one more than the other? what happens when someone else comes along that may inspire more love? your kisses may be a beautiful art/but all i ever wanted was your heart/right from the start

* and then there's run: tonra's guitar keeps up a relentless pace throughout the song, and her vocals sprint to keep up. quiet despair mixing with insecurity, run is a study of a dysfunctional relationship and the quest to keep it going.

when i powder my nose
he will powder his guns
and if i try to get close
he is already gone
i don't know where he's going
i don't know where he's been
but he is restless at night
he has horrible dreams
so we lay in the dark
'cause we've got nothing to say
just the beating of hearts
like two drums in the gray
i don't know what we're doing
i don't know what we've done
but the fire is coming
so i think we should run
i think we should run, run, run

while i put on my shoes
he will button his coat
and we will step outside
checking out the coast is clear
on both sides
we don't want to be seen
no, this is suicide
that you can't see the ropes
and i won't tell my mother
it's better she don't know
and he won't tell his folks
'cause they're already ghosts
so we'll just keep each other as safe as we can
until we reach the border
until we make our plan
to run, run, run

will you stay with me, my love
for another day?
'cause i don't want to be alone
when i'm in this state
will you stay with me, my love
'till we're old and gray?
i don't want to be alone
when these bones decay

run, run, run

while i powder my nose
he will powder his guns
and if i try to get close
he is already gone
don't know what i'm doing
don't know what we've done
but the fire is coming
so i think we should run

Daughter - Run (demo) by ohDaughter

here she is performing peter. lovelovelove this song:

Daughter - "Peter" (Tales From Shop Session) from Stay Loose on Vimeo.

go HERE to get daughter's demos ep, including run, for free. buy communion compliation, the album peter is off of, HERE.

learn more about daughter at her myspace or facebook pages.

in which 243 = beauty

so, i totally got scooped ahead of time on this band by the husband. but! they're worth the extra coverage, so you get two posts from our household for the price of one!

today's scottish band du jour is the last battle, an 6 member outfit from edinburgh (a place i still smart over not being able to visit during my summer in glasgow). currently signed to 17 seconds records (have you visited the 17 seconds blog? excellent music to be discovered there, peeps), the groups sings what they dub "low key folk pop" about "love, death, and longing." which, of course, is just my cup of tea.

their debut is out now, entitled heart of the land, soul of the sea, but they also recently released a single on their bandcamp site that you can download for a mere pittance called natures glorious rage. and friends, i swooned when i listened to 243 and knew it had to be shared. it's got two out of three of their self-proclaimed topics: love and longing. simple guitar lines and plaintive vocals make for a gorgeous listen.

i didn’t get the time to tell you
i was always busy running late
forgetful and drunk
i’m a slave
all my words
on night buses

you didn’t have the time to notice
you were always busy running circles
around photographs of friends
i’m a slave
all my words
on night buses
should’ve scrawled them on you as you slept
smudges of eyeliner
a breath on the back of your neck

didn’t get the time to tell you
i was always busy running late
forgetful and drunk
i’m a slave
all my words
on night buses

didn’t have the time to notice
you were always busy running circles
around photographs of friends
i’m a slave
all my words
on night buses

should’ve scrawled them on you
as you slept
smudges of eyeliner
a breath on the back of your neck
my breath on the back of your neck

here’s to the little things that fill my heart up
silent, but silently

(mp3) 243 by the last battle

download natures glorious rage HERE, including 243. go HERE to buy their new album, heart of the land, soul of the sea.

in which static waves are bittersweetly pretty

so, i have a thing for katie herzig songs. her voice is like honey, her melodies just as sweet. the husband likes to make fun of me for it, because he says i have a stable of katies on my ipod that all sound alike. i vehemently disagree, of course, but that's not the point of this post. the point here is that katie h has teamed up with the talented andrew belle to create the wistful and bittersweet static waves. and, while we're at it, this post is more about him than her.

sometimes i think it's a tough gig being a singer-songwriter nowadays. rock is king, of course - rock will ALWAYS be big. rap and hip-hop have a stranglehold on the radiowaves, and then, of course, there's straight-out pop to contend with. there are radio stations for alternative tunes (although these stations play metallica, claiming it is alternative, AND IT IS NOT. I DON'T CARE WHAT YOU SAY OR HOW YOU ARGUE IT, METALLICA IS AND NEVER WILL BE INDIE OR ALTERNATIVE. KROQ, STOP TRYING TO CRAM THEM DOWN MY THROAT), oldie, and country. but folk? and singer-songwriters? where do they go? how do people who love this sort of music even FIND these artists in popular markets?

they don't. they have to come to the internet, and thank goodness for that, or my ipod would be perilously free of meaningful music.

andrew belle is young - 24, has a bit of a jack johnson vibe to his vocals, and he's putting out songs that don't fit the popular molds. and i thank him for that, because cookie-cutter crap just doesn't do it for me anymore (i think i last felt that way back when i was in early elementary school and fretted over whether or not cyndi lauper was better than madonna).

i'm not alone thinking belle is talented - itunes recently just listed him and his recent album, the ladder, as a top singer-songwriter of 2010 in their annual rewind.

so, today, have a listen to static waves, in which he duets with katie herzig. i love the line: i would have let you leave. so, so sad, isn't it?

i count the steps from where i am
to where i started
i tap my feet
and close the door, to your apartment
and i know youre never gonna understand

its too late for you to stop and think
too late to mention
i make a move and spill my drink
to break the tension
i know you're never gonna understand
ill try my best to follow if i can, but

i would have let you leave

the static waves across the screen
define this notion
back and forth and in between
like my emotion
and i know you're never gonna understand
and wont you slow this down oh if you can

you swayed your hips and stole the breathe
that i was taking
i touched your lips and held your hands
when they were shaking

look how we've fallen upon our knees
how we forgot it
these empty halls held our disease
before we caught it
now out the door and down the stairs from your apartment
i would have let you leave

the static waves across the screen
define this notion
back and forth and in between
like my emotion

now out the door and down the stairs
from your apartment
i count the steps from where i am
to where i started
i would have let you
i would have let you leave.

(mp3) static waves by andrew belle and katie herzig

here's the video:

buy the ladder, the album static waves is off of, HERE for only $5.99 (a total steal, peeps!). like andrew belle? download his set at hotel cafe here in LA in 2010 free HERE.

wordless music post #17

find/buy this print at etsy HERE.

(mp3) start again (teenage fanclub cover) by death cab for cutie (via the pop cop)

video for a saturday - something real

Music Video: Catherine Shepherd - "Something Real" from Ed Christmas on Vimeo.

learn more about catherine sheperd HERE.

in which CNBK is crazy catchy and should be listened to. now.

so, when i first heard about cocknbullkid, i wasn't sure what to make of her, considering i'm horrible about shunning music due to band names (as documented in cringe-worthy glory HERE when i talked about big head todd and the monsters). but, then i read that 25 year old brit anita blay is a cross between santogold, morrissey and madonna, and i figured it couldn't hurt to give a listen.

OMG PEEPS. I AM SO GLAD I DID.

(although i'm going to argue maybe more kylie minogue or annie than madonna?)

here's what CNBK is: catchy. okay, here's what else she is: seriously, insanely fun. she's got a crystal-sweet voice and synth beats that take any gen-xer back to happier days (oh, wait until you hear the cure-like strains in the following song - SQUEE!). this is dancing music, friends. happy music. bounce your head, bounce your knee, pogo-stick it, turn it up, sing it cheerfully and without shame music.

so today, i'm offering up two of her songs to fall in love with. first one is called one eye closed, and here's what you need to know: THE VIDEO IS AWESOME.

the last time i came here
i was pretty vague
talked at you for hours
but didn’t really say what i had to say
mow fear of rejection is creeping up on me
wheres my discretion
but now i’m in too deep
so listen while i speak

and i’ma shoot straight from my hipbone
take a big break of this wishbone
look after you and give you a good home
tried to walk away but i cant get away cos

i was made for you
designed as one of two
so don't make me beg
i’ve already poured my bleeding heart out on your floor
and i’m coming back
so keep one eye closed and one eye on your door

traditional wisdom says i should let it be
it’s not my decision
but a fool if you don’t see
that you belong with me

so let me shoot straight from my hipbone
take a big break of this wishbone
look after you and give you a good home
i didn’t wanna stay but i can't walk away cos

i was made for you
designed as one of two
so don’t make me beg
i’ve already poured my bleeding heart out on your floor
and i’m coming back
so keep one eye closed and one eye on your door

every day is torture but everyday i get a little closer
to rising above water
so you can run but i’ll run faster



song number two is kicking remix of hold onto your misery done by dan lissvik. it's got clapping in it, so right there, you know i'm going to love it. it's got kids singing, too, in a non-cheesy way (or is it really cheesy, but in the delightful i can't resist way?). there are hints of abba. i kid you not. it's like a pure shot of addictive pop fizz, which is wholly ironic, because CNBK claims it's all "about stopping putting so much value on being happy. when i'm happy, things start to drop. sometimes you have to go back to that point when you're 14 and you think everyone hates you." whee!

hold onto your misery
i need it and it needs me
some people spend their life trying to be free
trying to hold onto your misery

(mp3) hold onto your misery (lissvik remix) by cocknbullkid

and here's a video of an acoustic version of the song. how adorable is this girl?


CocknBullKid - Thecockandbullkid 'Hold On To Your Misery'

just goes to show me ONCE AGAIN that i can't judge an artist/band by their name.

CNBK's album, adulthood, will be this february. you can bet i'll be getting it.

in which an aglet makes for a stadium anthem song

so, every time the opening strains of a particular cartoon come on in my house, one of my sons shrieks, "IT'S PHINEAS AND FERRRRRBBBBB!!!"



childless peeps out there probably have NO idea what that means. or who those characters are, other than victims of silly names. but those of you who have kids are probably nodding your head thinking: yes, thank god for children's television that i can watch without feeling my IQ slip another fifty points.

phineas and ferb is a disney XD cartoon by the folks who made the family guy. in a nutshell, it's about a pair of stepbrothers who like to build amazing things, their sister who obsesses over busting them, their pet platypus who doubles as a secret agent, and a crazy mad scientist hellbent on ruining the tri-state area. the storylines always intersect: perry the platypus bests dr. doofenshmirtz, candace fails to show her mother whatever the boys have been up to in time before its inevitable destruction by doofenshmirtz, and the boys and their friends have a daily adventure of a lifetime. in short, the series is hilarious, filled with double-entendres, adult jokes that manage to still be appropriate for children's ears, and a catchy song per episode.



ah, the songs. some are so fantastically hilarious and fun that the husband and i can't help but replay them over and over, even while our kids are yelling at us to knock it off so they can watch the show in peace.

i thought i'd share just one such song with you today. it's all about raising aglet awareness - wait. you're wondering what an aglet is? good thing for you, phineas and ferb are ready to explain it to you:

through the eye of a needle,
time to loosen your tongue.
bot a tip how to make ends meet.

A-G-L-E-T, don't forget it!
gets us all up on our feet, yeah yeah yeah!


we're tying the world together!
we're tying the world together!
we're gonna tie the world together!
we're gonna tie the world together!
one word at a time!

and in the end the most important thing
is that we never forget,
the end of a shoelace is called the...
the, uh...

candace: wait a minute! it doesn't matter! i can't believe i was almost sucked into this!

phineas: i can't believe you still haven't learned the word. i mean we spelled it a bunch of times in the song!

too much information,
but keep your eye on the ball.
we're gonna drive it hard to the hole, yeah!
A-G-L-E-T don't forget it!
brings us closer to our sole, yeah!
A-G-L-E-T (aglet!) don't forget it!
we're gonna tie the world together!
one word at a time!

(mp3) A-G-L-E-T by phineas and ferb



watch phineas and ferb daily on disney XD.

in which beth orton sings about a stolen car

so, i've been a fan of beth orton's for a long time. she's got this great, throaty voice that, along with insightful lyrics and non-cookie-cutter melodies, really pulls me in. i was lucky enough to see her in concert - wow, maybe 8 years ago now? - and she was fantastic. plus, she wore pink chuck taylors, and hello. pink chuck taylors are a sign of excellent taste. (i know, i know - it's irrational that i like her even more because of this fact, but there it is)



i pretty much dig all of her music, but if i had to pick, i'd say stolen car is my favorite. it's a bit dark and driven, but definitely a story worth listening to. and beth does that - a lot of her songs are more than just a bunch of rhyming words. she tells stories, and it makes her songs even better for it.

you walked into my house last night.
i couldn't help but notice
a light that was long gone still burning strong.
you were sitting,
your fingers like fuses.
your eyes were cinnamon.

you said you stand for every known abuse
that was ever threatened to anyone but you.
and why should i know better by now
when i'm old enough not to?

while every line speaks the language of love
it never held the meaning I was thinking of.
and i cant decide over right or wrong.
i guess sometimes you need the place where you belong

some may sing the wrong words to the wrong melodies
it's little things like this that matter to me.
others feel that you should stand
for every known abuse to hand
and all the things that they could never see.

you said you stood
for every known abuse that was ever promised to anyone like you.
don't you wish you knew better by now
when you're old enough not to?

when every line speaks the language of love,
it never held the meaning i was thinking of.
and i can't decide over right or wrong.
you left the feeling that i just do not belong.

one drink too many
and a joke gone too far
i see a face drive like a stolen car.
gets harder to hide
when youre hitching a ride
harder to hide what you really saw.

oh, yeah, you stand
for every known abuse that i've ever seen my way through.
don't i wish i knew better by now?
well i think i'm starting to.

when every line speaks the language of love
it never held the meaning i was thinking of.
and i've lost the line between right or wrong.
i just want to find the place where i belong.

why should you know better by now,
when you're old enough not to?
i wish i knew better by now,
when i'm old enough not to.

(mp3) stolen car by beth orton

here's the video:

buy central reservation, the album stolen car is off of, HERE.

in which cutaways break up, but you should still listen to their music

so, it always makes me a bit sad to find out a band i like splits. i realize it's just a fact of life in the music business - happens all the time, and all - but still, i can't help but feel disappointed, like somehow, the world is being robbed of future great music.

such is the case with cutaways (which some of you may or may not formerly know as the bete noires). this band, from ireland, amicably called it quits in mid-2010.



gone or not, i want to share a really fantastic song of theirs with you: what we lost in the process. it totally makes me want to jump up and down while singing it at the top of my lungs. fun fun FUN stuff.

don't color in
don't change the shade
there's a million things that i have to say
got swallowed up and spat back out
in the process we all see so keenly
can't cut it out completely
keep coming back for more
most second chances are better the first time
and now i know for sure

it's becoming hard to forget my regrets
soft-centered but bitter when touched on
and the water rised to have a less effect
when trying to lessen the blow
don't spit her out completely
just chew on a bit more
it's cool and fake
to make such mistakes
that much i know for sure

the sweetest lies
of a honeyed kind



like the band? you can now get ALL OF THEIR ALBUMS FREE. yes. FREE. head on over to their bandcamp site to download 2007, the album what we lost in the process is off of, for free. and then go to HERE to download their album earth and earthly things. and then HERE for a bunch of previously unreleased stuff.

in which a really great song creeps up on me

so, sometimes, there are songs that creep up on me. sure, there are those that flat out hit me and become full-fledged crushes during the very first listen. sometimes those songs stick around for a long time, but sometimes they don't. and then there are those songs that take their time, appearing every so often in my shuffle playlists. with each play i remind myself: i like this song. there's a reason i put it on my ipod, but then i kind of forget them until the next go around. and then one day, i catch myself humming the song and realize: oh, i think i love this song after all.

such is the case of katie gray's set free.


for the longest time, this song flew under the radar on my ipod. even after i did a couple of hours of writing to it (which, later, i was like, HOURS? really? i listened to it for hours and yet can't remember the name?), it still was a little wallflower. and then i finally gave this song the attention it deserved, and boy, am i glad i did. gray's voice is sweet yet haunting, her melodies a conglomeration of folk, world-beats, and even classical.

you should have a listen, too. i bet you'll be just as charmed as i am by it!

there's a cold fire
there's a crossfire
and there's something
inside, inside

and we'll never, never
make it
and we'll never, never
break it

until, until

there's a long game
that's a wrong chain
and it's something
we all hide it
inside

and we'll never, never make it
and we'll never, never break it
until we learn to see
until we set free

and you got style
and you got grace
and you got the means
to leave that place
but you'll never, never make it
and you'll never, never break it

until you learn to see
until you set free

so set free
set free

if we could see that this was all that we need
inside our minds
bodies and souls
we wouldn't run and we would let go
cause we'd realize
that we had
that we had no control


(mp3) set free by katie gray


buy from far away, the album set free is off of, HERE.

wordless music post #16

(mp3) all you need is now by duran duran (via all things go)

video for a saturday - new year's kiss

sadly, owen ashworth has decided to disband casiotone for the painfully alone, but his awesome music will live on!

woke up with fingers crossed
in a boy's bed with your pants off.
after polite declines of coffee and toast,
walked home itching in last night's clothes.

past the phone booth and the beauty bar,
the broken windows of your neighbors' cars.
through the backdoor to a message from sis,
asking, "who was your new year's kiss?"

took the afternoon to piece it all,
plus a half a dozen phone calls.
crashed a party with larissa and chris
in pursuit of a new year's kiss.

Not the way that you'd imagined it.
On a balcony with champagne lips.
But in a pantry against the pancake mix,
you had your New Year's kiss.

(mp3) new year's kiss by casiotone for the painfully alone

learn more about casiotone for the painfully alone HERE. buy etiquette, the album new year's kiss is off of, HERE.